FDA wants cancer warnings for tanning beds

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By ABC7 Archive

WASHINGTON

The FDA wants all tanning beds to carry language warning people under the age of 18 about the risks of indoor tanning. The agency would also require manufacturers to submit their beds for federal review before marketing them.

The action is aimed at curbing cases of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, which have been rising for 30 years. This year an estimated 76,690 people will be diagnosed with the disease.

The risk of melanoma is 75 percent greater in people who have been exposed to ultraviolet radiation from indoor tanning.